A document obtained by Peoples Gazette shows approximately 400 Nigerians are jailed annually in U.S. federal prisons for crimes ranging from fraud to drug trafficking.
400 NIGERIANS JAILED YEARLY IN U.S. FEDERAL PRISONS — DOCUMENT
Approximately 400 Nigerians are jailed annually in U.S. federal prisons, a document exclusively obtained by Peoples Gazette shows. The document lists 3,968 Nigerians jailed between 2016 and 2025 for crimes including fraud, bribery, extortion, burglary, larceny and sex offences.
Figures show 366 Nigerians jailed in 2016, rising to 404 in 2018, before dropping to 351 in 2020, then climbing to 439 by 2025. Fraud, bribery and extortion accounted for 1,978 cases, while 828 were listed under “unspecified” crimes.
Burglary and larceny convictions totalled 433, drug trafficking-related offences accounted for 422, immigration fraud recorded 74 cases, and illegal possession of weapons and explosives accounted for 64. Peoples Gazette has separately reported multiple cases of Nigerians jailed abroad in 2026.
NEWS NOW:
- Lagos Government arrests 396 beggars, starts profiling for repatriation
- Tinubu vows to modernise military with technology to combat terrorism and banditry
- UK court convicts Nigerian-born Emmanuel Popoola of murder over snapchat gang dispute
- IA-Foundation backs FG’s JSS, SSS structure review, pushes for wider reforms
